Automatic valve assembly



United States Patent 1 1 3,530,877

[72] Inventor Nelson R. Henry [56] References Cited 583 Willivee Drive,Decatur, Georgia UNITED STATES PATENTS 30333 1,753,122 4/1930 Kielsmeler137/408 [211 P 2,512,839 6/1950 Pruitt 119/81X [22] Filed May 31,1967

P d Se t 29 1970 2,973,775 3/1961 W1tham 137/408 [451 mm P 3,090,3995/1963 Godshalk 137/40sx 3,112,762 12/1963 Reitman 137/408 FOREIGNPATENTS 487,033 10/1952 Canada 137/408 [54] AUTOMATIC VALVE ASSEMBLYPrim Em in Alan Cohan ry m er 8 chums 6 Drawing Figs AssistantExaminer-David R. Matthews [52] US. Cl 137/408, ,4 Newmn Hopkins and o b137/442, 251/234 [51] Int.Cl E03'1/02,

F16k 31/44 ABSTRACT: An automatic double acting watering trough [50]Field 01' Search 137/403, valve having few moving parts which can beassembled and 408,442, 444, 445;251/231,234; 1 19/81; disassembledwithout the use of tools, without removing it 126/ 1 13 from the valvestand or shutting off the water.

I/Illa i 'VIIIIIIII,

a /Z /4 g as AUTOMATIC VALVE ASSEMBLY This invention relates to anautomatic valve assembly and is more particularly concerned with anautomatic watering trough valve for use primarily in the raising ofpoultry.

In the past, automatic watering trough valves have been quiteextensively used in conjunction with watering troughs for maintaining aprescribed water level in the troughs. The modern automatic wateringtrough valve is usually a double acting valve, having a lever which, inits extreme positions, shuts off the valve and in its intermediateposition opens or turns on the valve. By the provision of springs, theprior art valves are urged to their off positions so that the troughsmay be removed for cleaning, leaving the valves automatically Gofiii'While being quite effective in operation, the prior art valves,nevertheless, are subject to various problems. For example in most priorart valves, the strainer is quite inaccessible and serves a doublefunction of maintaining the cooperating parts in proper relationship,thereby rendering the prior art valves difficult to clean.

The prior art valves also have quite a number of moving parts, therebymaking such valves expensive and complicated. Some valves also requirespecial tools for their assembly and disassembly. Furthermore, many ofthe prior art valves are complicated by the fact that they have twovalves and two valve seats with a stem connecting the two valves.

Briefly described, the present invention which tends to overcome thedisadvantages described above, includes a housing having upper and lowerchambers which are separated by a partition, through which protrudes ahollow tube. The bottom terminus of the tube forms a valve seat againstwhich a resilient valve washer is adapted to be urged. The washer iscarried in the upper end of a bifurcated axially movable valve,removably carried in the lower chamber. One arm, i.e., a valve actuatingarm, of a flat L-shaped valve control member, is received in the slot ofthe valve for actuating the valve along an axial path from an upperclosed position to a lower open position. The other arm, i.e., a guidearm, of the control member moves along the side surface of the housing.Outwardly of both arms, an intermediate portion of the control member ispivotally secured to the control lever. This pivotal connection is alsooutwardly of the control lever's pivotal connection to the housing.Therefore, a spring, one end of which forms the pivotal connectionbetween the lever and member and the other end of which is connected tothe housing, urges both the lever and the member to their uppermostpositions, such that the guide arm rides along the housing and forcesthe valve support arm inwardly to close the valve. In the lowermostposition of the lever, as when the trough is full of water, the controlmember rests against the pivot pin for the lever and is therefore tiltedor pivoted with the lever about the pivot pin to urge the valve supportarm upwardly (inwardly) to close the valve. Of course, in theintermediate position, the control member is lowered from its uppermostposition and the valve is lowered to its open position.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide anautomatic valve assembly having few moving parts and which can beassembled and disassembled without the use or necessity of tools.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic valveassembly in which there is no need for a strainer to retain parts inplace.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic valveassembly which may be disassembled and reassembled without removing itfrom the valve stand or shutting off the water.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automaticdouble acting valve assembly having a single valve and a valve seat.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic valvewhich is inexpensive to manufacture, durable in structure, and efficientin operation.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following description, when considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views andwhereinl FIG. 1 islan enlarged side elevational view, partly brokenaway, showing an automatic double acting watering trough valve assemblyconstructed in accordance with the present invention, the control leverbeing in its intermediate position for permitting the valve to open;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on a reduced scale ofthe valve portion of the assembly and showing the control lever thereofin its upper extreme position for closing the valve;

FIG. 31is aview similar to FIG. 2 and showing the control lever in itslowermost position for closing the valve;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 inFIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 6-6 inFIG. 1.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment chosen for the purpose ofillustrating the present invention, it being understood that in itsbroader aspects the present invention is not limited to the exactdetails herein depicted, numeral 10 denotes the housing or casing of thevalve proper of the assembly. The housing 10 is preferably a cube,elongated along its vertical axis and divided by a central transversepartition 11 into an upwardly opening, cylindrical, upper chamber 12,and a downwardly opening, cylindrical lower chamber 13. The lowerchamber 13 functions as a discharge spout.

A hollow tube 14, passing vertically along the axis of housing 10through partition 11 provides communication between the two chambers 12and 13, the upper end of tube 14 terminating slightly above the centralportion of the inwardly and downwardly tapering conical upper wall 15 ofpartition 11. In like manner, the tube 14 terminates slightly below theflat horizontal lower wall 16 of partition 11.

The upper end portion of housing 10 is provided with internal threads17in upper chamber 12, the threads 17 threadedly receiving theexternally threaded end of a stand pipe 18. The other or upper end ofstand pipe 18 receives therein a removable circular wire strainer 19 andis connected by a flexible hose (not shown) to a source of water underpressure.

According to the present invention, the valve 20, itself, is anelongated bifurcated member, square in cross section and frusto-conicalat its bottom portion. Thus, is provided a valve 20 having a valve head21 which carries a resilient disc-shaped valve washer 22 partiallyrecessed centrally in the upper surface of head 21.

The bifurcation forms a pair of complimentary guide arms 23 dependingfrom opposed sides of the valve head 2l ,the

inner or adjacent surfaces of which are flat and define, withportions ofarms 23, below the housing 10, each taper inwardly to a flat bottomportion 26, the tapered portion of each arm 23 being produced by aconical segment of the frustoconical bottom portion.

It will be remembered that the base of the lower chamber 13 iscylindrical and that the cross section of valve 20 is square. Hence,when the washer 22 is moved downwardly from the end of tube 14, water orother fluid, as the case may be, from tube 14, will flow outwardly ofhead 21 toward the wall of chamber 13 and then downwardly between thewall of chamber 13 and the sides of valve 20. Below the housing 10, thewater tends to adhere to the sides of valve 20, the water being directedinwardly and being broken up by the inwardly tapered lower portion ofvalve 20. Indeed, I have foundout that, using'a valve 20 with no taperedlower end portion, the

water tends to splatter when being discharged, but this does not occur,to any appreciable extent when the valve is tapered as described above.

For moving the valve 20 from its open position, as shown in FIG. 1, toits closed position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the valve assembly isprovided with a radially disposed control member, denoted generally bynumeral 30. This control member 30 isa quite inexpensive, thin, flat,stamped metal plate defining an upstanding valve activator arm orcontrol finger 31 which is received in slot along the axis of housing10. The upper end of actuator arm 31 is rounded and is adapted to engageand act against bottom surface 24 of the valve head 21 as indicated atnumeral 62.

From the surface 24, the arm 31 projects downwardly, being integrallyjoined at its lower end with a sidewise extending actuator support bar32. The length of arm 31 is such that, at all times, the bar 32 isspaced below the lower end of housing 10.

The central body 33 of the control member carries and is connectedintegrally to bar 32. The body 33 projects upwardly and outwardly in aradial direction from housing 10. The body 33 terminates in anupstanding bearing arm 34 which curves inwardly at its upper extremity.Thus, arms 31 and 34 project generally in the same direction; however,arm 34 is offset from and above arm 31.

Mounted along the side of housing 10, inwardly of bearing arm 34, is abracket which has a flat, central rectangular bearing plate 41 againstone side of housing 10 and a pair of opposed retaining arms 42 and 43projecting from opposite edges of plate 41 along opposed sides ofhousing 10. A hollow retaining pin 44 passing through the centralportion of housing 10, i.e., through partition 11, and arms 42 and 43,secure the bracket 40 in place.

Arm 43 is longer than arm 42, the arm 43 being co-extensive with thelength of housing 10. A brace 45 extends from arm 43 inwardly along thesurface of housing 10 below and coplanar with plate 41 and is then bentoutwardly to provide an outwardly projecting fulcrum plate 46. Thefulcrum plate 46 is parallel to and flat against one side of body 33 ofa control member 30. A pivot pin 50 projects sidewise from fulcrum plate46 through a notched out portion 37 of body 33. The notched out orrecessed portion 37 opens inwardly and loosely, partially encompassingthe pivot pin 50. The upper edge or ledge 38 defining the notched outportion 37 is adapted to ride on the upper periphery of pivot pin 50when lever 52 is in its intermediate to lowermost position. The inclinededge portion 39 of notch 37 is for the purpose of providing clearancefor the actuator arm 31 as the control member 30 is removed.

0n the other side of control member 30, the pivot pin 50 pivotallycarries by one end the control lever 52. The control lever 52 is a flatgenerally rectangular member parallel to and adjacent control member 30.Lever 52 projects outwardly well beyond the extremitites of controlmember 30, and is provided with spaced upwardly opening notches 53 whichselectively receive one end of the watering trough (not shown).

Between the innermost notch 53 and the pivot pin 50, the lever 52 isprovided with a hole 54 which is aligned with a similar hole in theouter extremity of body 33 of control member 30. One hook 55 of a coilspring 56 passes through both holes, such as hole 54.

The other hook 57 passes through an appropriate hook in one end of atensioning shaft 58. Substantially the entire length of tensioning shaft58 is externally threaded and receives a knurled nut 59.

An upwardly and outwardly projecting arm 60 mounted by its inner end tothe upper end of plate 41, well above bearing arm 34, is provided with ahole through which shaft 58 passes. Nut 59 rides against the uppersurface of arm 60, the arrangement being such that, as the nut 59 isrotated to take up shaft 58, hook 57 is urged upwardly, applying tensionon spring 56 to yieldably urge lever 52 to its upper most position, asshown in FIG. 2.

It will be observed that the bearing arm 34 normally is in slidableengagement with plate 41 at a point denoted by numeral 61. Also, thatfinger 31 engages surface 24 at a point designated by numeral 62. Springhook 55, which serves a double function of providing a pivotalconnection between the central portion of lever 52 and the end portionof body 33, and provides a means of which one end lever 52 is urgedupwardly also defines one corner of an imaginary triangle, the other twocorners of which are defined by points 61 and 62. Within the centralportion of this imaginary triangle is pivot pin 50.

OPERATION From the foregoing description, the operation of the valveassembly should be apparent. A flexible hose (not shown), leading from asource of water under pressure, is connected to the upper end'of thestand pipe 18. Also, one end of a substantially horizontally disposedtrough (not shown) is hooked over the end of lever 52 so that a portionof the trough (not shown) is received in one of the notches 53. Theother end of the trough (not shown) is pivotally mounted in the usualway.

Under normal circumstances, the tension of spring 56 is such that theweight of the empty trough is sufficient to depress the lever 52slightly as to lower slightly the hook 55 which, in turn, lowers controlmember 30, the lever 52 pivoting about pivot pin 50 and also pivotingslightly with respect to control member 50, about hook 55. This lowering(without pivoting of control member 30) is accomplished since the weightof control member 30 tends to urge it in counterclockwise directionabout hook 55 so that point 61 rides along plate 41. Notched portion 37,as lever 52 is moved from the uppermost position of lever 52, as seen inFIG. 2, to its intermediate position of lever 52, as seen in FIG. 1,loosely encompasses pivot pin 50. Therefore, arm 34 simply moves in alinear path downwardly, with point 61 thereof riding along plate 41.This action of the lowering of control member 30 in a linear path causespoint 62 on control finger 31 to move downwardly also in a linear pathin lower chamber 13.

Since the valve 20 is disposed within chamber 13 for movement in alinear path along the axis of housing 10 toward and away from the valveseat formed by the lower end of tube 14 and seats with pressure andsince the valve 20 is also relatively heavy, the valve 20 is urgeddownwardly as contact point 62 on finger 31 moves downwardly to permitwater in the upper chamber 12 to pass through tube 14 and then outwardlyand around valve 20, passing downwardly between the flat walls of valve20 and the curvilinear walls defining lower chamber 13.

As the water approaches the bottom 26 of valve 20, it is directedinwardly toward the axis of valve 20 because of the invertedfrusto-conical bottom portion of valve 20. Thus, the tendency of thewater to splatter is reduced.

As the trough begins to fill, the weight of the trough and the watertherein become progressively greater, until it urges the lever 52 to itslowermost position as shown in FIG. 3.

It will be observed in FIG. 1 that when lever 52 has been moved to itsintermediate position, the ledge 38 which defines the upper extremity ofnotch 38 is resting upon the upper periphery of pin 50. Hence, anyfurther movement in a clockwise direction of lever 52 and hook 55 willnot cause additional lowering of control member 30 but, instead, arotation of control lever 30 about pivot pin 50 in a clockwise directionand in unison with lever 52. The clockwise pivoting of control member 30raises point 62 on finger 31, carrying valve 20 upwardly toward itsseated position. Also, the pivoting of control member 30 moves arm 34outwardly of plate 41. Thus, there is a visual indication of the closedcondition of the valve as seen in FIG. 3.

As lever 52 approaches its extreme position, the washer 22 of valve 20is again seated on the end of tube 14, terminating the flow of liquidthrough tube 14. It is now seen that when the lever 52 is moved from itsuppermost position, as seen in FIG. 3, the control member 30 is firstmoved downwardly in an essentially linear path of travel parallel to theaxis of housing 10 to open the valve 20 to its fully open position asseen in FIG. 2. Upon continued downward movement of lever 52, thecontrol member 30 reaches the lower extreme or extent of its lineartravel as ledge 38 engages pin 50 and member 30 is then pivoted aboutthe transverse axis of pivot pin 50, the axis of pivot pin 50 beingoffset from and approximately perpendicular to the axis of housing 10.The pivotal movement of control member 30 raises finger 31 to againclose the valve.

If it is desired to wash the trough, the trough may be removed. Whenthis occurs, spring 56 returns the valve assembly to the "off" or closedcondition as depicted in FIG.

The assembly and disassembly of the valve assembly is quite simple sincethe valve assembly has only three major moving parts, i.e., the valve20, control member 30, and lever 52. To disassemble the valve assembly,knurled nut 59 is rotated sufficiently to lower spring 56 and therebypermit withdrawal of hook 55 from the holes, such as hole 54, in controlmember 30 and control lever 52. The control member 30 is now essentiallyfree, since the distance from finger 31 to inclined ledge 39 issufficient for the ledge to clear the pivot pin 50 as the finger 31 isremoved from chamber 13. Upon removal of finger 31, the valve 20 simplydrops out. The steps are reversed for reassembly.

Since valve 20 is not connected directly to control member 30 andprotrudes from chamber 13 at all times, the water need not be cut offduring the replacement of valve 20. lnstead, the replacement can beaccomplished quite quickly since the valve 20 may be held seated,manually, except during the period in which one valve 20 is substitutedfor another.

Since strainer 19 is in a position remote from the valve housing andfunctions only as a strainer, it may be removed for cleaning without thenecessity of disassembling the valve portion itself or removing thevalve from its stand (not shown).

Since tube 14 stands above the tapered bottom l5 of upper chamber 12,small trash passing through the strainer 19 will collect on bottomrather than pass through the tube 14.

Since the lever 52 need not be disturbed to disassemble the valveitself, the small and easily lost pivot pin 50 does not need to bedisengaged from fulcrum 46. If the parts become worn, however, retainingpin 44 may be readily removed to permit replacement of bracket 40, pin50 and lever 52 as a unit.

Since the fulcrum plate 46, control member 30 and lever 52 are eachthin, flat members and are disposed in juxtaposition parallel to eachother with the control member 30 sandwiched between plate 46 and controllever 52, these elements occupy little space and pivot pin 50 need bevery short.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations maybe made in the embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustration,without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appendedclaims.

lclaim:

1. In an automatic valve assembly of the type wherein a valve isdisposed within a valve housing for movement along a prescribed pathtoward and away from a valve seat in said housing for seating andunseating on said valve seat, the com bination therewith of a controlmember carried by said housing for engaging said valve and for movementin a linear path and also for movement in a pivotal path pivoting aboutan axis spaced from the path of travel of said valve, said control meansbeing constructed and arragned for seating said valve when said controlmember is moved to one extreme position along its linear path and tounseat said valve when said control member is moved away from itsextreme position along its linear path and to seat said valve when saidcontrol member is pivoted to an extreme position in its pivotal path andto unseat said valve when said control member is moved away from itsextreme pivoted position, and means for moving said control member inboth its linear path and its pivoted path.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said last mentioned meansinclude a pivot pin carried by said housing and a lever pivotallycarried by said pivot pin and pivotally connected to said controlmember, said control member partially encompassing said pivot pin forlinear movement by said (lever) control member upon movement of saidlever along a prescribed path and for pivotal movement with said leverwhen said control member engages said pivot pin.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 including a spring for urging saidlever to a position to cause said control member to close said valve.

4. The structure defined in claim'] in which said control memberincludes a guide arm for riding against a flat surface outside of saidhousing and a finger connected to said arm and projecting through thedischarge spout of said housing for engaging said valve.

5. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said housing includes alower cylindrical chamber within which the valve is disposed formovement upwardly to seat on said valve seat, said valve beingapproximately square in cross-section and protruding below said housing,said valve being bifurcated for receivinga flat portion of said controlmember.

6. In a valve assembly, a housing having a discharge chamber into whichliquid is adapted to flow, a valve seat in said chamber, a valve in saidchamber below said valve seat and movable toward said valve seat forseating on said valve seat to stop the flow of liquid into said chamber,said valve having a non-circular valve head and a pair of spaced opposeddownwardly projecting guide arms in said chamber extending from saidvalve head, said guide arms defining an outwardly opening slottherebetween, control means carried by said housing for projecting intosaid slot for moving said valve, said guide arms projecting sufficientlyfrom said chamber that the valve may be urged manually into a seatedcondition, and means for moving said control means both in an axial pathwith respect to said housing and in a pivotal path.

7. The structure defined in claim 6 including means on said controlmeans for riding on the exterior of said housing during axial movementof said control means and for pivoting away from said housing duringpivotal movement of said control means.

8. The structure defined in claim 7 including a pivot pin carried bysaid housing, said control means being provided with an inwardly openingnotch loosely partially encompassing said pivot pin and means for movingsaid control means within the confines permitted by said pivot pin insaid axial direction and for moving said control means in its pivotalmovement when said pivot pin is engaged by said control means.

